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The Beet Goes On

Foodie Friday

Feb 24, 2012 by Rebecca Crichton

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I asked the members of my food class called A Matter of Taste-Food and its Many Attractions – what they loved to eat and what they hated. It’s amazing how much energy people have for the foods they don’t like!

At the top of the list was liver. A few people came to its defense, including me, but I wasn’t about to convince anybody to give it another chance. (I grew up eating fabulous Jewish chopped liver made with real schmaltz and I still adore Pate of any kind.)

Next on the list were beets, followed by Brussels sprouts. That proved to be a rallying call and I pledged to bring in at least one dish from each ingredient to see if we could have a few conversion experiences.

I felt a bit messianic by the time I was done, even seeking out a recipe for Beet Preserves, something I had heard about or maybe even had in the past. There were no leftovers, so I guess I led them to the Beet of a different drum… (Sorry, I can’t resist…)

Cold Beet Borscht

Ingredients:

2 large cooked red beets (mine were roasted)

1 bunch green onions

1 bunch dill

1 tsp. sour salt (optional)

1-2 T sugar

1 T white wine vinegar

1 qt. buttermilk

Salt and Pepper

Directions:

Puree all together, tasting for right blend of creamy, dill and sour/sweet/salty
Chill and serve.

You can top it with more chopped dill, diced hard boiled eggs, diced cucumbers and chives

Beet Hummus

Ingredients:

2 cooked golden beets

1 can drained chick peas

1-2 cloves crushed garlic

1 T. ground cumin

Juice of 1 lemon

Optional – Hot sauce- Harissa or other

1-2 T. Olive oil

Salt and pepper

Directions:

Crush garlic into processor and add cumin, lemon juice and hot sauce.
Add beets and chickpeas and process until smooth. Add oil for a bit more depth of flavor.
Serve with pita or fresh vegetables as appetizer

Beet, Feta and Mint Salad

Ingredients:

1-2 lbs beets, cooked, peeled and diced in ½ chunks

3-6 oz. crumbled feta

½ – 1 C chopped fresh mint

2 T. Balsamic or other vinegar

2-4 T Olive oil

Optional: 1-2 fresh oranges, satsumas or tangerines cut in chunks

Salt and pepper

Directions:

Mix all ingredients and serve. You can also make ahead and let flavors blend.

Beet Preserves

Ingredients

2 large beets – steamed, peeled and diced

1 small orange and one small lemon – finely chopped

3 C sugar

1 C chopped pecans or other nuts (walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds would all work)

2 T ground ginger

1 T fresh grated ginger

Juice of one lemon

Directions:

Cook diced beets with sugar and ginger over medium heat for 30 minutes.
Add chopped lemon and orange and continue cooking until slightly thickened – stir to prevent sticking – about 30 minutes.
Stir in nuts.

Put in jar and keep refrigerated. You can process in boiling water if you want to keep them longer.

Graphic credit: Simon Howden / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

About the Author

Rebecca Crichton Has Written 40 Articles For Us!

I try to stay aware of one main concept: We see things through different lenses. We get caught in our own belief systems and most of us are pretty attached to being right. I am one of those inveterate Life Long Learners. I like new ideas, new experiences, new people, new challenges.

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